Derrick-truck



Witness E. HOLMES: DERRICK TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET I. V

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Patented Nov) 16, 1920.

E. HOLMES.

DERRICK TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920.

Patented-Nov. 16, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Evzea'Z/EaMa E. HOLMES.

DERRICK TRUCK-' APPLICATION FILED mm. 31, 1920. I 1,359,379, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

DERRICK TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED R. 31

Patentd Nm 16, 1920.

firm, I

' ERNEST HOLMES, 0F CHAT'TANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

DERRICK-TRUCK.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed March 31, 1920'. Serial No. 370,257.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, ERNEST HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Derrick-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in derrick trucks of the general type disclosed in my re-issued Letters Patent No. 14,720 of September 2, 1919.

More particularly the invention proposes the operation of the booms and the hftlng cables from the motor of the truck and consists in certain novel features involving the structure of the gearing by which the operations of the various cables are controlled, and the relation of the gear elements to various structural features of the truck, the principal advantages secured being sturdiness, compactness, ease and certainty of control, speed of operation, and economy of power.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a derrick truck in which the features of the invention are incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 a rear elevation, one of the booms being shown in a laterally projecting position and partly in section:

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, showing the Y gearing for the operation and control of the various cables;

Fig. 5 is a detail View, partly in elevation and partly in vertical cross-section, of the Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional View showing certain details of the framing of the derrick structure; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing certain details of stabilizing jacks. with which Q the truck is preferably equipped.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews. r V

The derr ck structure is mounted upon an automobile truck 12 and is preferably supported by a cross beam 15 secured to the chamis.- The frame of the derrick structure co'nsists of suitably.hraced upright posts 13 and 14 mounted on said beam adjacent th opposite sides of the truck.

The derrick structure includes a pair of booms 21, one associated with each post; and each boom is mounted for pivotal movement about both vertical and horizontal axes. In the construction shown andpreferred, the

[posts are, utilized as the vertical pivotal centers of the booms, and for this purpose, the booms are connected at their lower ends to sleeves 20, rotatably fitted upon the respective posts and having their seating upon shoulders 22. The connections between the booms 21 and sleeves 20 include horizontal pivots 20 about which said booms are movable independently of their movements about their vertical axes. l 7

Each post and its associated boom 21 constitute elements of a derrick unit and the two units, while susceptible of independent operation, are also cooperating companions. Each unit includes a cable for regulating and ,effectin the upward and downward movements of t e boom and a' lifting cable 54 for regulating the movements of the load. The cables 54 normally depend beyond the rear end of the truck, preferably by having the booms 21 from whose ends said cables are guided, of such len b that they project beyond the rear end 0 the truck.

The booms 21 are provided near their free ends with apertured laterally-projecting lugs 64 for coiiperation with a locking bolt or pin 66 engageable through the apertures of said lugs for the purpose of preventing the booms from swinging laterally from their normal operative positions incident to the connection of the cables 54 to the load in tow. At the rear end of the truck a coupling head 69 is provided for connection to the vehicle in-tow, the said coupling head -being suitably constructed to prevent lat-1 j of the construction which forms the subject of my co-pending application Serial No. 345.987, filed Dec. 19, 1919.

Each of the posts 13 and 14 includes a hollow upper section 40 (Fig. 7) through which the cables 54 and 55 are led, the section 40 having in its side an opening 41 and having adjacent said opening cable guide pulleys 49. A bracket 48 is revolubly fitted in the upper end of each of the posts 13 and 14, said 'bracket having a hollow gudgeon which is journaled-in the section 40. The bracket 48 carries guide pulleys 50 over which the cables 54 and 55 are led. The cable 55 is connected to the free end of the boom 21 and the cable 54 depends from said free end, being led over a guide pulley 53 whose bracket 51 has a gudgeon revolubly journaled in the end of the boom, thereby to enable the pulley 53 to turn about the boom as a pivotal axis in order to compensate for the sway or drag .of the load relatively to said boom.

In connection with the operation of extricating a damaged automobile the truck frame is preferably braced relative? to the ground by stabilizing jacks 80. hese depend from the ends of the beam 15 and conveniently comprise telescopic sections, one of which for engagement with the ground is lengthwise adjustable relatively to the other whereby it may be normally supported at a suitable elevation above the ground or lowered to engage the ground and secured in its lowered position. This adjust-- able section is preferably counter-balanced,

as shown in Fig. 8, in order that its movemerits may be easily accomplished.

The associated operations of extricating a disabled automobile from the position in which it may be left as the result of accident and of hauling or' towing said automobile to a destination are performed in the manner described in my said re-issued Letters Patent, the steps involved being as follows: I

The boom 21 at the side remote from the load upon being positioned at a suitable. elevation is swung laterally outward until it projects at a right angle from the truck and the cable 54 associated with said boom is used as a guy by fastening its free end to a suitable anchorage, said cable and boom thus serving to prevent any tilting of the truck as an incidentof the lifting and swinging of the load by the boom 21 and cable 54 at the opposite side of the truck. In this Way, a disabled automobile which has been left in an awkward or unfavorable situation, for example, an automobile which has been ditched at one side of the road or which has been over-turned, may, with facility, be righted by the use of either of the booms and the associated cable 54. When the load is righted, it is worked gradually toward the rear of the truck by the active boom 21 and cable 54 and when it has reached a position wherein there is no liability of the truck tipping, the other boom, 2'. e. the one whose cable 54 was used as a guy, may be brought into action and by the use of both booms and their associated cables 54 the load may be quickly brought into position for towing, z. e. a position in which it is squarely in the rear of of its rearwardly disposed truck and for such purpose the cables 54, which depend beyond the rear end of the derrick truck, are employed, said cables being connected to the automobile in tow by their hooks 59 or otherwise in any suitable manner.

The present invention consists particularly in the construction of the gearing which takes power from the motor driven shaft and by which the operations of the various cables are controlled and also in the relation of elements of such gearing to Various structural features of the truck.

The longitudinal driving shaft 81 of the truck is preferably utilized for the purpose in view and is connected by reversing gearing to a transverse shaft 82 mounted in bearings 83 secured on the beam 15. The said reversing gearing is illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 to 6 and includes a longitudinally disposed shaft 84 journaled in a bearing 85 secured to the beam 15 and provided at one end with a bevel pinion 86 in mesh with a bevel pinion87 on the shaft 82 and at its other end with a pinion 88 and a. sprocket wheel 90. A pinion 91 is slidably keyed on the shaft 81 and has its hub formed with an annular groove 92 and beyond said groove with a clutch element 93. The element 93 cooperates in one position of the clutch with a similar element formed on a sprocket wheel 94 connected by a chain 94 to the sprocket wheel 90. The sprocket wheel 94 is loose on the shaft 81 but is not slidable. When the pinion 91 is at the forward limit of its movement it is disengaged from the pinion 88 and by means of the co- I operating clutch elements drives the sprocket wheel 94, which latter then operates the shaft 84. When it is desired to reverse the rotation of the shaft 82 the pinion 91 is moved to. its rearward limit in which position it meshes with the pinion 88 and drives the shaft 84 in a direction reverse to that in which it is driven by the sprocket 94, the, latter now running idle. The pinion 91 also has an intermediate position, as shown in Fig. 6, in which it is out of engagement with the pinion 88 and has not established the engagement of the clutch element I a yoke 95 which fits in the groove 92 and is connected by a link or rod 96 to an operating lever 97 located near the drivers seat. The cables 54 and 55 of each boom are trained over a companion pair of drums 98 and 99,'it being immaterial which cable is.

wound upon aparticular drum. The drums 98*99 are mounted on parallel longitudinal shafts 100 which are supported between side plates 101 secured to or forming parts of the in suitable supporting brackets 109 and may be moved by any desired means, for example, by means of arms 110 dependin from rock shafts 111 which are provided with operating handles 112, these preferably being disposed in pairs arranged at each side of the drivers seat (Figs. 1 and 2). When the shaft 81 is disconnected from the shaft '82 as by the inion 91 being in the intermediate position s own Fig. 6, the gearing for the operation of thedruins will be rendered inoperative but will be self-locking whereby the cables cannot be paid out. When it is desired to operate any of the cables, the shafts 81 and 82 are operatively connected by engaging the pinion 91 with the pinion 88 or the clutch element 93 with the companion clutch element on the sprocket wheel 94, the

direction of rotation of the shaft 82, of

course, depending on whether the drive is taken through the pinion 88 or the sprocket wheel 90. The shaft 82 being thus driven, the operation of a particular cable merely depends upon the selection of the drum upon which that cable may be wound. Each drum may be operated independently of the others by engagement of the particular clutch elements 104 and '105 which will operatively connect said drum to the shaft 82. The reversal of the rotation of the drum is, of

' course, effected by relatively shifting, in the manner explained, the elements of the rewhich connects the shafts 81 and 82.

I claim:

1. In a derrick truck, the combination of a boom-operating cable, a lifting cable, a pair of parallel drums having their axes disposed longitudinally of the truck and over which drums the cables are trained, a shaft disposed. transversely of'the truck, means for connecting said shaft selectively to either of said drums, said means including irreversible gearing, a longitudinal shaft driven by the propelling motor of the truck and reversing gearing connecting said shafts.

2. In a derrick truck a supporting cross beam, a derrick supported by said beam, a cable for operating the boom of the derrick, a lifting cable depending from the boom, a pair of parallel drums having their axes disposed longitudinally of the truck supported by said beam and upon which said cables are wound, a transverse shaft supported b said beam, means for gearing said, sha

selectively to either of said drums, a motor driven longitudinal shaft and reversing gearing connecting said shafts.

3. In a derrick truck, the combination 4 with a derrick supported on the truck frame .of a boom operating cable and a liftin cable, a pair of longitudinally dispose parallel drums upon which said cables are wound, each drum having a worm'wheel at one end, worms meshing with said worm wheels, a transverse shaft on which said worms are loosely fitted, a clutch between saidshaft and each worm, each clutch hav; ing an element slidably keyed on said shaft, 1 a motor driven longitudinal shaft and re-- versing gearing connecting said shafts. 4

4. In a derrick truck,"the combination with a derrick supported onthe truck frame, of a boom-operating cable and a lifting cable, a glalir ,of parallel longitudinal drums upon w 'chsaid cables are wound, a transverse shaft, means for selectively gearing said shaft to either of said drums, said means including irreversible. gearing, a motor driven longitudinal shaft and transmission mechanism between said shafts capable ofimparting forward or reverse rotation to said transverse shaft or assuming a neutral position, whereby said drums may be operated in either direction or remained locked in inoperative positionby said irreversible gearing.

5. In amotor truck, the combination of a derrick mounted on the truck frame, an

mounted on the free end of the boom, a lifting cable passing over said pulley, a shaft driven from the propelling motor of the truck, a second shaft, reversing gearing between said shaft, manually operated means 1 adjacent the drivers seat of the vehicle for controlling said reversing gearing, a drum for each of said cables and means for connectmg sald second shaft selectively to either of said drums.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto. set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST HOLMES. Witnesses: 7

JOHN S. FLETCHER, S. Barrow STRANG, 

